The Geordie football star released heartbreaking details about Jay’s desperate search for help in the last years of his young life. It read: “Jay was a fractured broken jigsaw where the pieces didn’t fit.

“He begged doctors and different services for medically supervised help to withdraw from prescription medication he had taken to deal with the pain he suffered through his mental health problems.

“Jay and his mum fought for the past two years to get the proper help he needed.”

It is understood his nephew had been working for environmental charity Groundwork North East. In recent months, he had posted frequent messages which told of his own troubles with addiction. But his friends stressed they were issues with prescription drugs for his mental health.

In January he wrote: ‘Addiction is a disease, I was born with it.

“I haven’t smiled in years, I feel trapped.

“For heaven’s sake I’ve just came out of emergency heart surgery and now I’m back on it again.”

After the church service, the funeral cortege snaked its way through the streets to Saltwell Crematorium for a private cremation.

Anna said prior to the funeral: “He was a diamond – and we’ve chosen the Pink Floyd song Shine On you Crazy Diamond for his service of celebration – he wasn’t a conformist, he was special, he was all about peace and love.

“All I can say is he will be shining down on us, and I want people to remember the good times, before his illness.”